The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued an urgent appeal on Friday, calling for vital international assistance to bolster its operations across the Sahel region. This critical plea comes as nearly 4 million individuals are currently displaced within Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and surrounding nations. This staggering figureContinue Reading
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) issued a pressing call for international assistance on Friday, highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Sahel. Currently, nearly 4 million individuals are displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighboring territories. This figure represents a staggering 66% increase compared to five years ago, drivenContinue Reading
Mali: UN Warns of Growing Human Rights Crisis Amid Election Suspension and Crackdown The United Nations has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating situation in Mali, with its High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, strongly condemning both the indefinite suspension of elections and the escalating repression against civil society.Continue Reading
New law criminalizes consensual same-sex relations in Burkina Faso On September 1st, Burkina Faso’s transitional legislative assembly passed a controversial bill that criminalizes consensual same-sex relationships, marking a significant setback for LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Under this new legislation, individuals convicted of homosexuality face up to five years inContinue Reading
What if a simple blood test before marriage could fundamentally transform a life? This question underscores the critical mission to combat sickle cell disease in Niger. Dr. Mariam Boureima Djibo, Director of the National Reference Centre for Sickle Cell Disease (CNRD), recounts a deeply moving experience that shaped her resolve:Continue Reading
Human rights activists forcibly disappeared in Burkina Faso Urgent appeal — BFA 002 / 0525 / OBS 022 Enforced disappearance / Kidnapping Burkina Faso May 2, 2025 ©Balai citoyen Share URGENT APPEAL The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human RightsContinue Reading
Human rights advocates are urging Niger’s military authorities to immediately release former President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held in arbitrary detention for two years following a coup that overthrew his elected government. The crisis began on July 26, 2023, when officers from the self-proclaimed National Council for the SafeguardContinue Reading
As persistent insecurity and forced displacement continue to plague central and northern regions of Mali, women face increasingly severe risks of gender-based violence, a United Nations agency has warned. Presenting findings from a survey conducted last May, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency for sexual and reproductiveContinue Reading
The Sahel has slipped from global headlines, yet its crises rage on unabated. While international attention shifted to conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and the Congo, the decade-long security and political turmoil in the Sahel has only deepened. The region, once perceived as a manageable challenge, now stands as the globalContinue Reading
cholera outbreak in Burkina Faso begins with first confirmed cases Burkina Faso has officially declared a cholera outbreak following the confirmation of multiple cases in the eastern region. Health authorities confirm outbreak Share Burkina Faso is facing a concerning public health situation as health officials have confirmed the country’s firstContinue Reading
dengue outbreak in Burkina Faso: rising cases and health responses Since January, Burkina Faso has been grappling with an unprecedented dengue fever outbreak, transmitted by mosquitoes, which has claimed 214 lives. The capital, Ouagadougou, and Bobo-Dioulasso, the country’s second-largest city, are the hardest-hit areas, as reported by the Burkinabè government.Continue Reading
Niger faces growing cholera crisis as cases surge in Maradi and Zinder Health authorities are on high alert as over 600 cholera cases have been reported in Maradi and Zinder regions over recent weeks. Current outbreak details and impact The latest cholera surge in Niger has been fueled by heavyContinue Reading